Composite harvester spout

ABSTRACT

A composite discharge spout portion for a discharge spout for a forage harvester defines at least a portion of a path for crop materials. The spout portion may include a proximal end, a distal end, an upper wall and a pair of side walls extending between the proximal end and distal end. The side walls depend from the upper wall, and the top and side walls have opposite major faces and edges. A spine may be integrated into each of the side walls and extends between the proximal and distal ends, with each of the spines forming a tubular structure on either side of the spout portion. The upper wall, the side walls and the spines may be integrally formed of a composite material.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patentapplication No. 62/158,607, filed May 8, 2015, and is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/898,089,filed May 20, 2013, both of which are hereby incorporated by referencein their entireties.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure relates to crop harvesting equipment and moreparticularly pertains to a new harvester dispensing spout formed atleast in part from composite materials.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a composite discharge spoutportion for a discharge spout for a forage harvester which defines atleast a portion of a path for crop materials. The spout portion mayinclude a proximal end, a distal end, and an upper wall and a pair ofside walls extending between the proximal end and distal end. A spinemay be integrated into each of the side walls and extends between theproximal and distal ends, with each of the spines forming a tubularstructure on either side of the spout portion. The upper wall, the sidewalls and the spines may be integrally formed of a composite material.

In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a discharge spout for aforage harvester having an exit conduit through which crop materialsmove. The spout may comprise a spout base portion forming an inboard endof the spout and being configured to mount on the forage harvester incommunication with the exit conduit. A composite spout portion may bemounted on the spout base portion, and may have having a proximal endmounted on the base portion and a distal end. The composite spoutportion may include an upper wall and a pair of side walls dependingfrom the upper wall. A spine may be integrated into each of the sidewalls and extends between the proximal and distal ends, with each of thespines forming a tubular structure on either side of the spout portion.The upper wall, the side walls and the spines may be integrally formedof a composite material.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some of the more importantelements of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional elements of the disclosure that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment orimplementation in greater detail, it is to be understood that the scopeof the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in thefollowing description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure iscapable of other embodiments and implementations and is thus capable ofbeing practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to beunderstood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are forthe purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception,upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present disclosure. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present disclosure.

The advantages of the various embodiments of the present disclosure,along with the various features of novelty that characterize thedisclosure, are disclosed in the following descriptive matter andaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and when consideration is givento the drawings and the detailed description which follows. Suchdescription makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a new extended harvester spoutaccording to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an outboard end portion of thedispensing spout, according to an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic upper perspective view of the spout extensionportion of the dispenser spout, according to an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic lower perspective view of the spout extensionportion of the dispenser spout, according to an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an end section of the spoutextension portion, according to an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the spout composite portion,according to an illustrative embodiment, shown with other elementsremoved and in an inverted position to reveal detail.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of an end section of the spoutcomposite portion, according to an illustrative embodiment, shown withthe outer skin removed to reveal the celled structure and the edgereinforcement structures.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective sectional view of the spout compositeportion, according to an illustrative embodiment, also shown with theouter skin removed to reveal the celled structure and the joiningelements as well as the edge reinforcement structures.

FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of a joining element, according toan illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a broken away piece of thecomposite portion with the outer skin peeled back from one side of thecelled structure.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of elements of a system according to anillustrative embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a schematic upper perspective view of an embodiment of anextended harvester spout having optional features.

FIG. 13 is a schematic lower perspective view of the spout, according toan illustrative embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view of the walls of the extensionportion of a spout, according to an illustrative embodiment similar tothat shown in FIG. 17.

FIG. 15 is a schematic close up perspective view of a cross section ofthe walls of the extension portion of the spout, according to anillustrative embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 17.

FIG. 16 is a schematic perspective view of an exterior of the mountingstructure on the extension portion of the spout, according to anillustrative embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 17.

FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view of an interior of the mountingstructure on the extension portion of the spout, according to anillustrative embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 17.

FIG. 18A is a schematic outer perspective view of an actuator assembly,according to an illustrative embodiment, shown in an position that maycorrespond to an extended position of the tip portion.

FIG. 18B is a schematic outer perspective view of an actuator assembly,according to an illustrative embodiment, shown in an position that maycorrespond to a deflection position of the tip portion.

FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of thesacrificial liner for a portion of the spout, according to anillustrative embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a schematic side perspective view of another illustrativeembodiment of the extended harvester spout with optional features.

FIG. 21 is an enlarged schematic side perspective view of the embodimentshown in FIG. 20 showing greater detail of the extension portion of theembodiment.

FIG. 22 is a schematic lower perspective view of the embodiment of FIG.20.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through22 thereof, a new extended harvester spout embodying the principles andconcepts of the disclosed subject matter will be described.

Applicants have recognized that as the harvester heads of forageharvesters have gotten wider in order to cut more crop rows in a pass,the distance between the forage harvester and the hopper into which thecrop materials are dispensed (whether mounted on a vehicle or on atrailer) has necessarily increased to clear the end of the widerharvester head. A spout is generally used to guide the crop materialsfrom the exit chute of the harvester to the hopper. The increaseddistance between harvester and hopper means that the spout needs to belonger to reach the increased distance so that crop materials are notlost, such as by blowing wind that may divert the materials streamingfrom the end of the spout. The closer the end of the spout is to theinterior of the hopper, the less chance for loss. Spout extensions maybe used to increase the length of the spout to extend the distance fromthe harvester to the hopper, thus minimizing the possibility of thevehicle associated with the hopper striking the harvester or theharvester head.

Applicants have also recognized that while extending the spout lengthsolves some problems, such extension introduces new problems. Simplyextending the spout using conventional spout structures increases thecantilevered weight of the spout significantly, and deflection of theend of the spout increases dramatically. This deflection in turn resultsin crop materials being directed by the end of the spout in aninconsistent manner as the harvester travels over uneven field surfaceswhich induces a bounce in the extended spout, which is most pronouncedat the dispensing end of the spout. The delivery of the crop materialsbecomes inconsistent and even uncontrollable. Further, the increasedmovement resulting from the increased weight also tends to causepremature failure of the spout as the metal of the spout bends afterrepeated cycles of this bounce.

Applicants have recognized that forming a portion of the spout from alighter weight material, and in particular a combination of lighterweight and heavier weight materials, may provide a combination that islighter in weight overall but retains the strength required in arelatively economical manner. In some embodiments, the disclosedcomposite spout extension, with associated hardware, may have a weightthat is approximately ⅓ of the weight of an equivalent extension formedof steel.

In some aspects, the disclosure relates to a system that may include aforage harvester 1 that may include a harvesting head 2 to cut andgather the crop in the field that flows through the harvester as cropmaterials and a crop processing apparatus 3 for altering the form of thecrop materials and ejecting the crop materials through an exit conduit 4of the harvester. The crop processing apparatus 3 may include a chopper5 configured to chop the crop materials into pieces, a processor 6configured to rupture kernels in the crop materials, and an accelerator7 configured to propel the crop materials through the exit conduit.Forage harvesters may include some or all of these components, and mayor may not be self-propelled. The components of the forage harvester andadditional elements may define a path 8 for the crop materials beingharvested.

Another aspect of the system may include a discharge spout 10 that isconfigured to discharge crop materials from the crop processingapparatus 3, and the discharge spout may thus be in communication withthe exit conduit 4. The discharge spout 10 may have an inboard end 12for receiving the crop materials from the exit conduit and an outboardend 14 that dispenses or discharges the moving crop materials in thedesired direction. The discharge spout 10 may define a portion of thepath 8 for crop materials between the inboard and outboard ends. Theinboard end 12 may be connected to the exit conduit 4, and in someembodiments, the spout 10 is fully supported by the connection at theexit conduit. Typically, although not necessarily, the spout 10 isrotatable about a vertical axis to change the side of the forageharvester that the spout outputs the crop materials.

In general, the spout 10 may comprise a spout base portion 16, a spoutextension portion 18, and a spout tip portion 20. Any and all portionsof the discharge spout may be formed of a composite of materials as isdescribed herein. For the purposes of this description, the compositeconstruction of one portion of the discharge spout will be describedwith the understanding that the use of the composite construction is notlimited to one, or one particular, portion of the spout, In greaterdetail, the spout base portion 16 may be in communication with the cropprocessing apparatus 3 of the forage harvester through the exit conduit4, and the crop processing apparatus may eject crop materials throughthe exit conduit and into the spout base portion. The spout base portion16 may define an arcuate portion of the path 8 of the crop materials,and the velocity of the crop materials along with the curvature of thebase portion 16 may allow the portion 16 to be partially open toward thecenter of the curvature. The spout base portion 16 may have an inner end22 and an outer end 24, and the inner end may be connected to the exitconduit 4.

The spout extension portion 18 may be mounted on the spout base portionto extend the path 8 of the crop materials defined by the spout 10. Thespout extension portion 18 may have a proximal end 26 and a distal end28, with the proximal end being connected to the outer end 24 of thespout base portion to receive the crop materials. The extension portion18 may be removably connected to the base portion 16 in order to allowfor use of the spout 10 with and without the extension portion. In someof the more preferred embodiments, the spout extension portion 18defines a substantially straight portion of the path 8 of cropmaterials, although this is not critical and may also be curved. Anillustrative embodiment of the spout extension portion shown in FIGS. 12through 14 has an arcuate extent between the ends of the extensionportion such that a middle portion deviates from a linear and straightpath between the ends. The arcuate shape may allow the crop materials tofollow a more natural path when being propelled through the spout.

The spout tip portion 20 may form the outboard end 14 of the dischargespout, and may be mounted on the spout extension portion 18 to continuethe path 8 of the crop materials. The spout tip portion 20 may beadjustable to adjust the direction of the crop materials leaving thedischarge spout 10, and the adjustment is typically in a vertical planealthough adjustment in the horizontal plane may also be possible. Thespout tip portion 20 may have a connection end 30 and a free dischargeend 32. The free discharge end 32 may be movable with respect to theconnection end 30 to adjust the path of the crop materials movingthrough the spout tip portion, as well as after the crop materials haveexited the free end.

In some embodiments, the spout tip portion 20 may include asubstantially stationary section 34 including the connection end 30 ofthe spout tip portion to connect to the spout extension portion. Thespout tip portion may also include a movable section 36 that is movablymounted on the stationary section 34, and in some embodiments, themovable section may be pivotable with respect to the stationary sectionvia a pivotal mounting the movable section on the stationary section. Insome further embodiments, the movable section includes two or more partsthat are articulated with respect to each other, including an outermosttip section 38 and an intermediate section 39 between the tip section 38and the stationary section 34. The sections of the spout tip portion maybe formed of various materials, such as metal or various plastics orcomposite materials. In some embodiments, it has been found advantageousto utilize a metal (e.g., steel) material for the tip section 38 toavoid excessive bending of the tip portion, and an UHMW material for theintermediate section 39 to provide a degree of weight reduction of thetip portion 20.

In some implementations, an extended spout actuator assembly 40 that isconfigured to move a part or parts of the movable section 36 of thespout tip portion to direct the crop materials dispensed from thedischarge spout. In illustrative embodiments the actuator assembly maycomprise an actuator 42 mounted on the base spout portion 16, and may belocated toward the outer end of the base spout portion. Illustratively,the actuator 42 may comprise any suitable actuator that extends andretracts, such as a linear actuator. The actuator assembly 40 may alsoinclude an actuating link 44 that links the actuator 42 to the movablesection 36 (or structure associated with the movable section) of thespout tip portion. The actuating link 44 may extend along at least aportion of the spout extension portion 18. The actuating link 44 of theactuator assembly 40 may comprise a first portion 46 and a secondportion 47, and the portions 46, 47 may be connected to a transfer arm48 that is pivotally mounted on the spout extension portion. An optionalembodiment of the extended harvester spout shown in FIGS. 20 through 22also utilizes a substantially rigid member 44 as well as portions 46, 47and the transfer arm 48.

In other implementations, an actuator assembly 90 for moving a part orparts of the spout tip portion may employ a biasing element 92 to biasthe part or parts toward one position of the tip portion and a movementelement 94 that is configured to move the tip portion from the biasedposition of the tip portion. In the illustrative embodiments shown inFIGS. 12, 13 and 18A-B, the biasing element 94 may include one or morebiasing springs 96 that move the tip portion toward the biased position,which may be an extended position which tends to direct the cropmaterials to exit the spout in a more linear path from the end of thespout, such as along a tangent to the distal end of the spout extensionportion 18.

The biasing spring or springs may be connected to the spout extensionportion and to a movable part of the tip portion. The movement element94 may comprise a cable 98 (or other relatively flexible member) that isattached to the structure of the tip portion at a location spaced fromthe pivot axis mounting of the tip portion such that withdrawal of thecable toward the inboard end of the spout tends to move the tip toward adeflecting position in which the crop materials are diverted ordeflected from the tangential path of the extended position, andtypically more in a downward direction as compared to the extendedposition. Operation of the actuator assembly 90 may include movement ofthe cable 98 by an actuator 100 (see FIG. 18B) toward the inboard end ofthe spout to a variable degree which results in a variable degree ofmovement of the tip portion, and a variable degree of deflection of thetip portion. Relaxation of the pull on the cable by the actuator (seeFIG. 18A), which allows the cable to move toward the outboard end of thespout, allows the tip portion to move toward the extended position underthe influence of the biasing springs. The actuating assembly utilizingthe spring and cable combination is highly suitable for use inembodiments in which the tip portion is relatively light in weight sothat the spring or springs are able to bias the movable portion of thein an upward direction.

A composite portion of the spout, such as the spout extension portion 18described here for the purposes of illustrating the compositeconstruction, may include an upper wall, which may be substantiallyplanar with substantially planar opposite surfaces although somecurvature in the surfaces may be present. The spout extension portionmay also include a pair of side walls 52, 53 that depend or extenddownwardly from the upper wall 50. The side walls 52, 53 may be orientedsubstantially perpendicular to the upper wall, although this is notcritical. The top and side walls generally define an interior 54 whichmay or may not be bounded by a bottom wall when viewed in a transversecross section. The omission of a bottom wall contributes to a relativereduction of the weight of the extension portion as compared toinclusion of a bottom wall, and the momentum of the crop materialsmoving through the extension portion tends to keep the crop materialsfrom falling out of the interior of the extension portion through thespace where a bottom wall would be located if included. Each of the sidewalls 52, 53 may be substantially planar with substantially planaropposite surfaces.

The side walls 52, 53 may converge with the top wall 50 at joints 56,57. The extension portion 18 may include joining elements 58, 59configured to join the side walls 52, 53 to the top wall 50. The joiningelements 58, 59 may be positioned at the joints 56, 57 between the walls50, 52, 53 to hold the walls together. Each joining element may have apair of longitudinally extending slots 60, 61 for receiving an edgeportion of one of the walls, and the slots may be oriented substantiallyperpendicular to each other to support the walls in substantiallyperpendicular orientations with respect to each other. Illustratively,the joining elements may be formed from an aluminum extrusion, althoughthis is not critical. Further, fittings 62 may be mounted on the ends ofthe spout extension portion to facilitate the mounting andinterconnection of the various portions of the spout 10 together. Thefittings may be formed of materials different from the materialsforming, for example, the walls. Inserted structures or elements mayalso be positioned in the walls along the length of the walls tofacilitate mounting of various components on the extension portion, andthese inserted elements may also be formed of materials that aredifferent from the materials forming the walls. The walls may have majoropposite faces and edges.

The walls of the extension portion 18, such as the top 50 and side 52,53 walls may be specially configured to minimize the weight of the spoutextension portion. In some embodiments, the top and side walls may eachinclude a celled structure 66 forming a core of the respective wall, andthe celled structure may have cells 68 that open toward the major facesof the wall. The celled structure 66 may include cell walls 70 thatextend substantially perpendicular to the major faces of the wall.Illustratively, the cell walls of the cells 68 may have a substantiallyhexagonal shape, and while this shape provides benefits in the amount ofmaterial required, this shape is not critical. In some of the mostpreferred embodiments, the cell walls 70 may comprise a meta-aramidmaterial sold under the tradename NOMEX. Illustratively, the celledstructure may have a thickness of approximately 0.5 inches, althoughother thicknesses may be used. Closed or open celled materials may beemployed.

Further, the top and side walls may each include edge reinforcementstructures 72 positioned along the edges of the walls and generallyadjacent to the celled structure. The edge reinforcement structures 72may comprise strips that extend along the edge of the wall that ispositioned next to the celled structure 66 to form an edge face 74. Thestrip may be formed of a metal, and in some cases may be formed ofaluminum such as an extrusion.

The top and side walls may each further include an outer skin 76positioned over the cells 68 of the celled structure 66 to form themajor faces of the walls on the outside or exterior of the walls. Theskin 76 may extend between the edges of the respective wall, and mayextend to the edge reinforcement structures 72 at the edges of the wall.The skin 76 may comprise a plastic material, and in some of the mostpreferred embodiments comprises a fiber reinforced plastic material. Onehighly suitable fiber-reinforced plastic material is a carbon fiberreinforced material. Optionally, although the carbon fiber material ispreferred, other materials such as, for example, a high strengthfiberglass or an aramid fiber material, such as the para-aramid is soldunder the tradename KEVLAR, may be utilized for the outer skin.

The extension portion 18 may also include a sacrificial liner 78positioned in the interior of the spout extension portion 16 to protectthe interior surfaces of the walls against the abrasion caused by thecrop materials moving through the extension portion. The liner 78 maysubstantially cover the inner surfaces of the top and side walls, andmay be removable from the top and side walls and the interior when theprotective function of the liner has been compromised and it is nolonger able to protect the walls of the extension portion. The liner 78may have an upper extent 80 and lateral extents 82 that extendsubstantially perpendicularly to the upper extent. The lateral extents82 may be spaced from each other and may be positioned along oppositesides of the upper extent 80. In some embodiments, the liner 78 may beformed of an ultra high molecular weight (UHMW) plastic material. Therespective extents of the liner may be separate pieces, or may be asingle unitary piece formed by multiple pieces that are welded togetherto form the single unitary piece, a character which tends to solve theproblem of the crop materials from entering and becoming trapped in theareas where the liner pieces meet together, such as at the corners ofthe liner.

In some embodiments, the spout base portion may be formed of a metalmaterial, and the spout tip portion may also be formed of a metal.Illustratively, suitable grade of steel may be used to form the majorpanels of these portions. Optionally, the panels of the tip portion maybe formed of a UHMW material which may significantly reduce the weightof the tip portion being supported at the end of the spout.

In other embodiments, a composite section of the spout, such as theextension portion 110, may have an optional configuration such as isshown in FIGS. 12 through 15. The optional configuration may include anupper wall 112, and a pair of side walls 114, 115 that form a channelshape with opposite free side edges 116, 117 on the respective sidewalls 114, 115, and the walls and edges may extend between the proximalend 118 to the distal end 119 of the extension portion.

One advantageous feature of the extension portion 110 is the enhancementof the strength of the side walls by a spine 120, 122 positioned at eachof the side edges 116, 117 of the side walls, such that the side edgesmerge into the spines. The spines 120, 122 may have a thickness that isrelatively thicker than the remainder of the side walls, and may bethicker than the thickness of the upper wall 112 as well. The thickerthickness of the spine may enhance the strength of the extension portionbetween the proximal and distal ends, and may allow the side and upperwalls to be constructed of relatively thinner thickness material, as thesupporting strength may be concentrated in the spines rather than theentire wall structure. The spines may be formed be wrapping or encasinga core 123 with the carbon fiber material used to form the walls. Thecore 123 may not contribute any significant strength to the spoutportion, and may be formed of a different, lightweight material, such asextruded polystyrene, but may provide the mechanism for shaping thecarbon fiber material of the spine into a tubular structure.

The spines 120, 122 may also provide advantageous mounting locations forconnecting other structures to the composite material of the extensionportion without having to utilize inserts in the composite material. Asan illustrative example, the mounting structure 124 employed at theproximal end 118 to mount the spout extension portion 110 to the spoutbase portion 16 may embrace or cradle portions of the spine and minimizeor avoid the need to incorporate inserts into the walls of compositematerial to provide discrete mounting locations. The mounting structure124 may include a pair of channel elements 126, 128 that are eachpositioned along a section of the spine 120, 122 and may be connected tothe side walls by fasteners. The channel elements may compressivelypinch the spines to a limited degree and may help to increase the areaof the interface between the mounting structure and the spines. Such arelationship tends to eliminate discrete points of concentrated stressthat might result from the use of fasteners solely. The channel elements126, 128 may be connected together by a cross brace element 130 thatspans between the spaced channel elements (and the spines) on eitherside of the extension portion. The cross brace element 130 is optionaland may be omitted in some embodiments such as shown in the embodimentof FIGS. 20 through 22, as the brace may provide a location for cropmaterials to accumulate and possibly plug the passage of the spout. Alink element 132 may be positioned on either side of the spout portionto span between one of the channel elements and the outer end of thespout base.

An optional embodiment of a sacrificial liner 140 is highly advantageousfor addressing a tendency of the liner to bind in the spout portion andform a wavy surface due to dissimilar expansion rates between thematerial of the liner and the material of the spout portion. Thedifferential in expansion rates can be especially large when, forexample, the liner is formed of a UHMW material and the spout portion isformed of a composite material, such as carbon fiber. In the optionalembodiment, the liner 140 is fixedly or rigidly mounted to the spoutportion at one end of the spout portion and is mounted on the other,opposite end of the spout portion in a manner that permits longitudinalmovement of the liner while limiting movement of the liner out of theinterior of the spout portion. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, theliner 140 is mounted on the proximal end of the extension portion 110 ina manner that resists longitudinal and lateral movement of the linerwith respect to the proximal end 118 of the liner, and this manner ofattachment may be accomplished by forming holes 142 in the liner at theproximal end 118 for passing fasteners 144 through the liner to connectthe liner to the proximal end of the extension portion. The opposite endof the liner may be mounted on the distal end 119 of the liner in amanner that permits a degree of longitudinal movement but resistslateral movement of the liner with respect to the distal end, and may beaccomplished by forming slots 146 in the liner at the distal end 119 forpassing fasteners through the liner to connect the liner to the distalend of the extension portion. Further, guides 148 may be located on theside edges 116, 117 or spines 120, 122 that help to keep the linerbetween the side walls without significantly constraining longitudinalmovement of the liner with respect to the extension portion.

It should be appreciated that in the foregoing description and appendedclaims, that the terms “substantially” and “approximately,” when used tomodify another term, mean “for the most part” or “being largely but notwholly or completely that which is specified” by the modified term.

It should also be appreciated from the foregoing description that,except when mutually exclusive, the features of the various embodimentsdescribed herein may be combined with features of other embodiments asdesired while remaining within the intended scope of the disclosure.

Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the steps shownin the drawing figures may be altered in a variety of ways. For example,the order of the steps may be rearranged, substeps may be performed inparallel, shown steps may be omitted, or other steps may be included,etc.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the disclosedembodiments and implementations, to include variations in size,materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly anduse, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the artin light of the foregoing disclosure, and all equivalent relationshipsto those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specificationare intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosed subject matter to the exact constructionand operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitablemodifications and equivalents may be resorted to which fall within thescope of the claims.

We claim:
 1. A composite discharge spout portion for a discharge spoutfor a forage harvester defining at least a portion of a path for cropmaterials, the spout portion including: a proximal end, a distal end,and an upper wall and a pair of side walls extending between theproximal end and distal end, the side walls depending from the upperwall; and wherein a spine is integrated into each of the side walls andextends between the proximal and distal ends, each of the spines forminga tubular structure on either side of the spout portion; wherein theupper wall, the side walls and the spines are integrally formed of acomposite material.
 2. The composite spout portion of claim 1 whereineach of the spines is located on the respective side wall in a locationsubstantially opposite of the upper wall.
 3. The composite spout portionof claim 1 wherein the composite material has a cellular material with askin of a fiber reinforced material.
 4. The composite spout portion ofclaim 1 additionally comprising a sacrificial liner removably mounted ininterior of the composite spout portion, the liner being fixedly mountedon a first end of the spout portion and being mounted on a second end ofthe spout portion in a manner that permits substantially free movementof the liner with respect to the upper and side walls in a longitudinaldirection of the spout portion.
 5. The composite spout portion of claim4 wherein the liner is formed of an ultra high molecular weight plasticmaterial.
 6. The composite spout portion of claim 4 wherein the liner isformed of an upper extent for positioning adjacent to the upper wall,and lateral extents for positioning adjacent to the respective sidewalls, and wherein the extents are welded together to form an integralpiece.
 7. A discharge spout for a forage harvester having an exitconduit through which crop materials move, the spout comprising: a spoutbase portion forming an inboard end of the spout and being configured tomount on the forage harvester in communication with the exit conduit; acomposite spout portion mounted on the spout base portion, the compositespout portion having a proximal end mounted on the base portion and adistal end, the composite spout portion includes an upper wall and apair of side walls depending from the upper wall, the top and side wallshaving opposite major faces and edges; a spout tip portion mounted onthe distal end of the composite spout portion and forming an outboardend of the discharge spout; wherein the composite spout portion includesa proximal end, a distal end, and an upper wall and a pair of side wallsextending between the proximal end and distal end, the side wallsdepending from the upper wall; wherein a spine is integrated into eachof the side walls and extends between the proximal and distal ends, eachof the spines forming a tubular structure on either side of the spoutportion; wherein the upper wall, the side walls and the spines of thecomposite spout portion are integrally formed of a composite material.8. The discharge spout of claim 7 wherein each of the spines is locatedon the respective side wall in a location substantially opposite of theupper wall.
 9. The discharge spout of claim 7 wherein the compositematerial has a cellular material with a skin of a fiber reinforcedmaterial.
 10. The discharge spout of claim 7 additionally comprising asacrificial liner removably mounted in interior of the composite spoutportion, the liner being fixedly mounted on a first end of the spoutportion and being mounted on a second end of the spout portion in amanner that permits substantially free movement of the liner withrespect to the upper and side walls in a longitudinal direction of thespout portion.
 11. The discharge spout of claim 10 wherein the liner isformed of an ultra high molecular weight plastic material.
 12. Thedischarge spout of claim 10 wherein the liner is formed of an upperextent for positioning adjacent to the upper wall, and lateral extentsfor positioning adjacent to the respective side walls, and wherein theextents are welded together to form an integral piece.